Because I Like Johnny Cash

Does there need to be another reason? OK. Don't take them to Chipotle's or Cheesecake Factory or Applebee's or your other dining establishment of choice. Don't take them into schools, churches, synagogues, mosques, etc. Add Walmart to that list cuz you could end up like Billy Joe.

Fox Has Done Its Job

Their work is complete. The nation now has become majority wingnut.

Just over a week after U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was freed by the Taliban, a CBS News Poll shows 45 percent of Americans disapprove of the deal that saw him released in exchange for five Taliban militants, while 37 percent approve of it. 

The good news, if you can call it that:

(J)ust over half of Democrats approve.

Great.



My dream is that Obama went on TV and said, American People, I've decided, since this Bergdahl guy is a deserter and all, to leave his ass in Afghanistan. Let the Taliban punish him. That is what the Right in this country want now. Right? So, do you suppose Right Wing Media would be praising him up and down for that decision? Noooo. But, meanwhile he has already obtained Bergdahl's release. He waits for the outrage over that and walks out with his arm around Bergdahl and says, "pwned." Yes, it is nice in my dream-world.

Bergdahl had some shitty luck there. Besides being a POW for 5 years, I mean. If he'd been released with Bush as prez, he'd be getting ticker-tape parades, at least in his hometown, right now. As it is, I guess they've canceled any celebrations there because of right-wing nuts.

There are people in this country who live to be outraged. That's what the guy and woman in the Las Vegas shooting were. The most recent one that is. I hope. I gotta go back to my dreamworld now because I'm channeling Jim now.

Thank you Tbogg for this link and hallowed be your name.

On Thursday, a man at the store in Brighton, Mich., reached for his wallet and accidentally grabbed his gun, according to the Daily Press and Argus. The .40-caliber Glock went off, and the 32-year-old ended up shooting himself in the rear end. 

And there are two more cases at the link because who hasn't shot himself in the ass a time or two?

New York Dodged a Bullet

What a nasty person my home state could have had for a senator. If you can't get through all of it don't feel bad. I made it about two thirds and ripped the ear buds out. Christ! There's someone more shrill than Malkin.

In all fairness, we did dodge that bullet with the same space separating the average neocon chickenhawk from actual combat danger.

(A) Quinnipiac University poll found Pirro would lose to Clinton 62 percent to 30 percent.

You Said It All, Phil

I read this quote before I saw who introduced him.

“I guess the GOP may be more desperate than I thought to call somebody like me," he said.

He looks top shelf compared to the master of ceremonies.

Robertson, who was introduced by Sarah Palin, closed the speech with a minutes-long prayer, said "Amen, I'm done," and walked off. 

Are there any Republicans who aren't pretending to be something they're not? I still refuse to believe Trump is a billionaire until I see a financial statement. 

"Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson on Thursday urged his fellow Republicans to bring their party back to God as it seeks its way forward.  

I'm confused since I thought many of the followers of that religion were convinced that God or Jesus or the Holy Ghost was on his way back soon. I know they are all the same somehow, but I'm never going to understand that. I don't believe he gave many specifics on how the GOP should move back toward God other than the command to "get Godly."

Zephyr Teachout For Governor

And not just because she has one of the coolest names ever.  She might actually take a shot at reducing the bi-partisan corruption in NY state.

An excerpt from the blurb for the forthcoming book reads: "For two centuries the framers’ ideas about corruption flourished in the courts, even in the absence of clear rules governing voters, civil officers, and elected officials. Should a law that was passed by a state legislature be overturned because half of its members were bribed? What kinds of lobbying activity were corrupt, and what kinds were legal? When does an implicit promise count as bribery?" 

The book also touches on the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United decision which gave corporations the right to spend unlimited money to influence elections. Teachout writes that the Citizens United decision transformed American politics for the worse, again speaking to her background as an advocate for public campaign financing.

That she worked for Howard Dean, was active with the Occupy movement and was rejected for the Moreland Commission is a bonus. And it's fine with me if this reduces Cuomo's chances of becoming president to zero. 

Her experience with Dean is a clear indication that Teachout knows how to mobilize people on the grassroots level, an attribute that will surely come in handy if she ends up as the Working Families Party gubernatorial nominee. 

UPDATE: Teachout missed making the Working Families ticket. Doesn't really sound like she's going to run against Cuomo in the primary. Maybe someday, tho.

No, We Can't All Get Along

I'd like to start by asking all those who are currently living in right-wing hell-holes in this country to consider moving to the Northeast Kingdom of our once-great country. This began as an invite to the folks  in Nevada who are burdened with sharing their state with Cliven Bundy and his gang of over-armed and under-educated militia members. I'm also asking all those who are unhappy living under the rule of King Andrew to consider moving to one of these right-wing hell-holes where you undoubtedly be  happier. I'm thinking of starting an exchange program. Let's just divide up. Shirts and skins.

So here is the Cliven Bundy update: 

1)Authorities call bullshit on Bundy's land claims.

2)Militia members threaten members of the community.

3)Civil war is threatened between Bundy supporters.

4)Authorities prepare for charges to be filed against all involved.

5)Violence spreads to Utah

If we can summarize what’s happened since the spotlight moved on, we see the ongoing spread of lies and violence on the one hand — which is completely unsurprising. The almost-shooting war that Bundy supporters got themselves into is precisely the reason that the Second Amendment doesn’t mean what they think it means: As John Locke’s social contract theory explained, civil society was created because individual force cannot guarantee peace and security — even among the supposedly like-minded. Hence, the turning of violence against one another was just as predictable as its threatened spread to Utah as well.

On the other hand, we see a deliberately restrained, but methodical law enforcement process underway. Let’s hope it stays that way, because nothing damages the law as badly as those who abuse its authority, or use it recklessly. But let’s also hope they don’t take too long in beginning to bring folks to justice. Hatred, lies and violence already have too big a head start. We don’t need to let them get any further ahead.

Nearly forgot to mention that, apparently, fighting the tyranny that is Barack Obama's federal government doesn't pay anything. I mean, Bundy is not paying his grazing fees why would he pay these yahoos. So, if anyone passing through here would like to slip a few bucks in the tip jar of these domestic terrorists...

The life of an ever-vigilant anti-government armed patriot is hard. And by hard, I mean dull and unproductive. Also, not very profitable. Maybe that's why all those guys hanging out cleaning their guns in Nevada are now begging hard-working Americans to please give them some money.

I would, but I already gave to SPLC.

And Take Ann Coulter Away

I hate to even give my little bit of attention and waste any bytes or internet storage space on Ann Coulter, but sometimes rules have to be broken. Apparently Ann was jealous of the Nigerian girls who were kidnapped and thereby diverted the world's attention away from her.

 

And then folks who can do photoshop, unlike myself, had fun with her. My favorite:

Bonus cartoon characters:

 

OK, I only understood about half of that, but then I don't have one-eyed aliens watching me.

Law and Order Party No More

Fresh off the embarrassment caused by the enshrinement of Cliven (or is it Cloven) Bundy, Fox News may be set to hoist Michael Grimm onto the pedestal.

“Are you kidding me?" Rivera said on his WABC radio show on Tuesday, according to The New York Observer. "You indict an FBI hero agent, a combat veteran of the United States Marines, a two-term congressman, the only Republican in the area, and you indict him for hiring undocumented immigrants?

My first thought was that restauranteurs don't make laws and lawmakers do, but apparently Grimm is a restauranteur as well as a lawmaker. He'd probably make a good Fox host. And they're very liberal about a little hijinx.

The charges stem from Grimm's time running a New York City restaurant called Healthalicious. The government says Grimm concealed over a million dollars in gross receipts, along with hundreds of thousands of dollars of employees' wages. The charges against Grimm include wire and mail fraud, helping prepare false tax returns, perjury, and -- as Rivera pointed out Tuesday -- hiring undocumented workers. Rivera said that charge in particular suggested the prosecution of the Staten Island congressman was a "pathetic, politically motivated witch hunt."   

It may be a  witch hunt, but it doesn't look that pathetic. It looks whatever the opposite of pathetic is. Well, innocent until, hopefully, proven guilty I always say (unlike Ed Meese). I guess Rivera is a lawyer, but I have to wonder if anyone actually ever was acquitted using the "everybody does it" defense.  I'll give Geraldo the last word. Fair and balanced I am.

Michael Grimm is a great guy. I know him personally. We have hung out together. He’s one of the few people I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with in the last election. A hero!”

UPDATE: Sean Hannity is doubling down on depravity.

Fox host Sean Hannity dismissed the murder convictions of a Minnesota homeowner who used excessive force in killing two teenagers who broke into his home, claiming with exasperation, "They broke into the guy's house."

Byron Smith's actions:

After spotting a neighbor he believed had previously burglarized his house, Smith moved his car to make his home seem unoccupied and then waited in his basement "with a book, energy bars, a bottle of water and two guns."

Smith also set up an audio recording which captured what transpired. After breaking a window, Brady came down the basement stairs and was shot two times. Smith was then heard saying, "You're dead," before firing a third shot into his face. He then put Brady's body on a tarp and moved him to another room.

Moments later, Smith wounded and then killed Kifer execution-style with a shot under her chin.

There's more at Media Matters, but I feel soiled just putting this much up.  Also see Digby at Salon.